Role of TAHD

• Evaluate human exposure following an incident with a wild animal.
• Discuss possible need for rabies treatment
• Evaluate pet exposure following an incident with a wild animal.
• Explain to person(s) who own pet involved in rabies incident on Connecticut Protocol (rabies vaccine, booster shots, strict confinement, and quarantine)
• Appropriate referral of person(s) involved in rabies incident to Animal Control Officer (ACO), veterinarian, physician, hospital, etc.
• Arrange for shipping of specimen to state lab for testing.
• Notify person(s) involved on results of rabies testing.

Role of Veterinarian

 

• Discussions with pet owner following incident with wild animal
• Appropriate referral of pet owner to TAHD, ACO, etc.
• Booster pet for rabies following incident
• Preparation of specimen for shipping to state lab.
• Notification of pet owner of rabies testing results.

• Determine type of quarantine necessary for domestic animal
• Enforcement of quarantine or confinement
• Appropriate referral of pet owner to TAHD, veterinarian

5-2-05

1. Submitting specimens for rabies testing

1. The TAHD fee for shipping rabies specimens to the State Lab for residents of our communities is $25.00.
2. Specimens must be brought to the TAHD dead and properly packaged for shipping UPS
3. Small animals (e.g. bats, kittens, puppies) may be submitted as whole carcasses
4. Submit only the heads of large animals
5. Specimens will be shipped Monday through Thursday (we do not ship the day before a holiday).
6. Skunks or skunk heads will not be accepted under any circumstance. The involved party, animal control officer (ACO), or veterinarian must deliver them to the lab.
7. The chain of responsibility for transporting any animal involved in a human exposure is as follows: The attending veterinarian

1. The owner of the animal involved
2. The person who has been exposed

h) If a person chooses to transport the specimen to the Lab in Hartford, they will be directed to come to the TAHD for the property submission forms and directions to the State Lab.

5-16-06

For all questions, concerns, human and animal exposure, contact:

For questions concerning human exposure and rabies shots contact

Connecticut Department of Public Health at (860)-509-7994

For questions concerning livestock and domestic animal exposures, contact the State Veterinarian at (860) 713-2505

For general rabies information contact the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association at (860) 232-5000.

For questions concerning wildlife (unusual behavior, etc) contact the Department of Environmental Protection, Wildlife Enforcement Division at (860) 424-3011.

UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, PEOPLE MIGHT WANT OR NEED TO CALL A PRIVATE NUISANCE WILDLIFE CONTROL OPERATOR. THESE ARE STATE LICENSED PEOPLE WHO CHARGE TO REMOVAL NUISANCE ANIMALS.

CALL THE TORRINGTON AREA HEALTH DISTRICT FOR THE NAME OF A PRIVATE NUISANCE CONTROL OPERATOR NEAR YOU.